Unless performed very carefully, the victim would have died quickly from suffocation or blood loss; even if the ritual was conducted with care, the subject wouldve almost certainly died before the full blood eagle could be completed. Captors would cut and open large flaps of skin and muscle from their living victim's back and then sever the ribs from the spine, opening the ribs out to the sides to form "wings." The Vietnam War Crimes You Never Heard Of. In his book The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy, Ronald Hutton tends to agree with Franks analysis: The hitherto notorious rite of the Blood Eagle, the killing of a defeated warrior by pulling up his ribs and lungs through his back, has been shown to be almost certainly a Christian myth resulting from the misunderstanding of some older verse. Afterwards, Earl Einarr went up to Halfdan and cut the blood eagle on his back, in this fashion that he thrust his sword into his chest by the backbone and severed all the ribs down to the loins, and then pulled out the lungs; and that was Halfdans death. The best we can do is say "we don't know". According to the books of history, the Blood Eagle was a religious rite dedicated to the god Odin with the objective of imparting fear to the enemies of the Viking's. Matthew Gillis, a historian at the University of Tennessee and the author of an upcoming book on medieval horror, describes medieval Christian authors as horror experts. He says that textual vignettes like the ones featured in the new study were intended to teach a lesson, such as frighten[ing] their audiences into returning to God. Though some of the Old Norse sources detailing the practice predate Christianitys rise in the region, they were read and retold for centuries after their creation. The victim was allegedly alive the entire time, and his last breaths would cause a final fluttering of the lungs, akin to the fluttering of a bird's wings. Others are more graphic, aligning with the extreme versions depicted in contemporary popular culture. Its important to remember that historical records on Vikings and their way of living are scarce and most information is based on sagas, poems, tales, and more, so there were going to be elements that would have to be changed, embellished, or created in order to tell a cohesive story in Vikings. According to Saxo Grammaticus'sGesta Danorum, after the previously detailed mutilation, the flesh was rubbed with salt. . This, in turn, led to a more nuanced discussion of not only what could have happened, but how and why. Cookie Settings, The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, What We're Still Learning About Rosalind Franklins Unheralded Brilliance. Borg doesn't get an easy death when his schemes ultimately fail and he is captured. Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. Here's your blood eagle how-to, as related by Smithsonian Magazine: First, fasten the victim, face-down, and carve the image of an eagle, wings outstretched, on the victim's back. with a broad sword Was the blood eagle a real punishment? - Quora It was allegedly performed throughout all of Scandinavia and also in conquered Viking lands that now comprise modern England and Ireland. In the new study, the researchers evaluated the blood eagle practice by first analyzing human anatomy, breaking down the sequence of the torture step by step and approximating how it might have been accomplished in a public ritual. They further concluded that, were it performed in the most extreme versions depicted in the sagas and the subject of the torture still lived at that point, death would have followed the severing of the ribs from the spine within seconds, due either to exsanguination or asphyxiation. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Others note that the early references occurred centuries after Scandinavia had been Christianized and that the Blood Eagle was merely a propagandist myth used by Christians to make the pagan Vikings appear subhuman. | READ MORE. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Related: Fierce fighters: 7 secrets of Viking seamen. | READ MORE. For instance, there is an account in the "Tale of Ragnar's Sons" of Ivar the Boneless performing the blood eagle on Kinglla of Northumbria because the latter killed his father, Ragnar. published 27 January 2022 It literally turned victims inside out. Oral tradition can screw up details, especially when theres a 200-year lapse between the alleged event and the description. Performative displays of social standing and ritualized executions that included "conspicuous mutilation" were common practices in elite circles of Viking society; this suggests that written accounts of the blood eagle ritual were describing events that actually happened and were socially significant for leaders celebrating victory over a powerful enemy, the researchers said. Heres how it works. Who's Really to Blame for America's Lousy Transit Systems? Either way, the rituals appearance in these texts is intended to send a message tied to honor and revenge. The [ritual], as it exists in popular culture today, owes a lot to the attitudes of Victorian scholars who were keen to exaggerate its role.. Before we get into the details, remember that this one specialized in keeping the subject alive throughout the proceedings. The blood eagle is a method of execution detailed in late skaldic poetry. Blood-Eagle lines on Thy foe shall be flowing.". Vikings: The Blood Eagle Death Explained (& What It Gets Wrong) Mindy studied film at Columbia University; prior to Live Science she produced, wrote and directed media for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Ritual torture like the blood eagle dehumanized by literally transforming man into an animal. Historical evidence for the blood eagle is scant. In line with the studys interdisciplinary bent, the authors paired this analysis with historical and archaeological data about the specialized tools available within Viking society. The Dirty, Deadly History of Depleted Uranium Munitions, The Comics Writer Who Became a Legend-and a Martyr of Argentina's Dirty War, Emily Meggett, Preserver of Gullah Geechee Foodways of the Coastal South, Dies at 90, Documents Confirm Direct Ancestors of King Charles III Involved in Slave Trade, Academic Freedom is Vital to Developing the Critical Abilities Society Needs. The answer, according to an interdisciplinary team of medical doctors, anatomists and a historian, is a resounding yes. Set to be published inSpeculum: A Journal of Medieval Studieslater this month, the article sidesteps the question of whether the ritual actually took place during the Viking Age, instead asking whether the blood eagle could feasibly serve as a torture method. Viking warriors were known to go to extreme lengths to protect their reputations, and the blood eagle appears to have been reserved for exacting revenge for the dishonorable killing of a father (or other male relative). Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. According to 12th and 13th century authors, the Blood Eagle had a long tradition in Scandinavia, often being associated with Vikings, and was used against the most heinous enemies. The use of salt was later adopted by writers; they described the process as a "saline stimulant" intended to inflict additional pain and suffering, usually applied before the lungs were spread. Unless performed very carefully, the victim would have died quickly from suffocation or blood loss; even if the ritual was conducted with care, the subject wouldve almost certainly died before the full blood eagle could be completed. Vikings didn't leave many written records behind and the blood eagel is one of those things that leaves no archeological traces. Hdlfddn's death inThe Orkneyinga Sagawas as much an act of revenge as an offering to Odin, thoughwriters lateromittedthe reference to the Norse god. Behind the scenes pictures of blood eagle execution of king Aelle from the TV series VIKINGSMusic by: Bensound.com She also reports on general science, covering climate change, paleontology, biology, and space. Was the blood eagle a real torture method used by nordic peoples Details About The Blood Eagle, One Of History's Most - Ranker Ergo, "even if the ritual was carefully performed the victim would have died very quickly," the authors wrote. Saxo, who wrote duringthe late 12th and early 13thcenturies, recorded oral traditions and history as well as events from his own time. had Ellas back The life span of eagles in the wild is generally around 30 years. According to descriptions of the blood eagle in poems and prose dating from the 11th century to the 13th century, victims were typically captured in battle. Severing the ribs was a trickier task particularly if the lungs needed to remain undamaged, as hacking at them with a sword or sawing with a serrated knife would have likely torn or punctured the lung tissue. Related: Vikings: Jarl Borg Created A Major Location Mistake In The Show. Thus, the blood eagle was manifested in all its gory glory. One account describes the cut as extending "down to the loins," and in that case, the lower back's latissimus dorsi muscle would also have been cut. The tallest guy in recent history was a man named Robert Wadlow, who stood at 8 11 and did indeed need braces to stand due to his enormous height. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. [5], Einarr made them carve an eagle on his back with a sword, and cut the ribs all from the backbone, and draw the lungs there out, and gave him to Odin for the victory he had won.[6]. In this case, we're talking about a nifty little procedure called the blood eagle execution. Next: Vikings: Why Ragnar Doesn't Speak In The Season 2 Finale. During the 1980s, Murphy says, the prevailing attitude in scholarship [was] that the Vikings had been unfairly maligned as bloodthirsty barbarians, and that they were really savvy [and rational] economic actors. The pendulum had swung the other way. In one version, an eagle is carved on Halfdan's back with a sword, all the ribs cut from the backbone, and the lungs drawn out. They used anatomical modeling software to effectively recreate extreme versions of the blood eagle, simulating the effect of each step of the torture on the human body. Both were written several centuries after the events they depict, and exist in various versions known to have influenced each other.[4]. In other words, rituals like the blood eagle had meaning because they were a wayin practice or on the pageof drawing lines between groups of people and warning outsiders of the dangers of crossing that boundary. Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. However, the first literary reference to this practice didnt emerge until sometime between 1020 and 1038 AD in this simple passage from the Viking saga The Tale of Ragnars Sons, which describes Ivarrs murder of King Ella: And varr, the one varr ara, Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. The primary versions share certain commonalities: the victims are both noblemen (Halfdan Haaleg or "Long-leg" was a prince; lla of Northumbria a king), and both of the executions were in retaliation for the murder of a father. The work of scholars is to understand how this violence fit into a complex societyand a new study does just that. BLOOD EAGLE EXECUTION OF KING AELLE - BEHIND THE SCENES PICTURES - VIKINGS - YouTube 0:00 / 1:54 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. Watch my SCP Explained - Story \u0026 Animation channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JfkMtNAp44vmzdtnL4wow SUBSCRIBE TO THE INFOGRAPHICS SHOW https://www.youtube.com/c/theinfographicsshowOFFICIAL?sub_confirmation=1 MY SOCIAL PAGESDISCORD https://discord.gg/theinfoshowFacebook https://www.facebook.com/TheInfographicsShowTwitter https://twitter.com/TheInfoShow SUGGEST A TOPIChttps://www.theinfographicsshow.com SOURCES: https://pastebin.com/2dLH275ZAll videos are based on publicly available information unless otherwise noted. "), There are also two accounts of Torf-Einarr's execution of Halfdan Haaleg. The victim had become a slimy, bloody bird. It would have been very difficult to separate the ribs from the vertebrae, since the joints are stabilized by very strong ligaments. Instead,"We suspect that a particular type of Viking spearhead could have been used as a makeshift tool to 'unzip' the rib cage quickly from the back," the authors wrote in an accompanying essay for The Conversation. This article will discuss the representation of the . The theory is backed by the fact that Ivar was famous for his massive size and that the skeleton was reported to be about nine feet tall. So it remains unclear whether or not the Blood Eagle was real. Alfred Smyth argues that it was a historical method of execution but bear in mind he is a specialist in medieval history of the British Isles, not Viking Age Scandinavia. Second, the mere act of opening the thoracic cavity from behind would likely weaken or sever several major arteries of the body, and probably deflate the lungs. Blood Eagle Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images In TheOrkneyingaSaga, Hdlfddn(Halfdan) underwent the Blood Eagle after he was defeated in battle: "Next morning they found Hdlfddn Hdlegg on Kinar's Hill. Was the Legendary Viking "Blood Eagle" Torture Real? The research team also stated that the ritual was 'consistent with the Viking . Brutal Blood Eagle Ritual from Viking Legends Is Anatomically Possible They then looked at weapons from that era, to see how diverse blades might have been used for a task so laborious and grisly. However, theres a lot of debate on whether the blood eagle was real, a literary invention, or a mistake in the translation of the original texts. We wouldnt wish the Blood Eagle upon our worst enemyOK, except for maybe that one guy who did that one thing one time. All of that exposed tissue then gets salt rubbed into it, which certainly puts "lemon juice on a paper cut" into perspective, doesn't it? See more at profgabriele.com. Vikings saw Jarl Borg being killed through the "blood eagle" ritual, and while some texts talk about this method, it might have not been real. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). In his personal blog, Howard M. R. Williams, professor in Medieval archeology, explained (via Looper) that the blood eagle execution, as legendary as it is, has no historical or archeological correlate, and enduring it in silence is truly implausible". DOI: Speculum, 2021. The "blood eagle" execution method: Sagas made Vikings look scary, but Was Wyatt Earp a brave, courageous, bold lawman, or a pimp? According to the two instances mentioned in the Sagas, the victims (in both cases members of royal families) were placed in a prone position, their ribs severed from the spine with a sharp tool, and their lungs pulled through the opening to create a pair of "wings". Seemingly 'empty' burial mound is hiding a 1,200-year-old Viking ship, Rare, 1,000-year-old Viking Age iron hoard found in basement in Norway, Extremely rare white killer whale spotted off California coast. Sign in BLOOD. He characterized St. Dunstan's description of lla's killing as an "accurate account of a body subjected to the ritual of the blood eagle". 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. 10 Methods Of Execution For Utah That Are Way More Fun Than FiringSquads. Find Blood Eagle stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. After that, his ribs would be hacked from his spine with an ax, one by one, and the bones and skin on both sides pulled outward to create a pair of wings from the mans back. The debate among historians about whether or not the Blood Eagle actually occurred continues. Blood Eagle: The Grisly Torture Method Of The Vikings - All That's Recent Events That Will Most Likely Make It Into History Books 50 Years From Now, 21 Historical Figures Who Would Dominate Social Media If They Were Alive Today. The show led them to medieval sagas, which opened up further questions and made them realize they needed to consult a historian. In popular lore, few images are as synonymous with Viking brutality as the blood eagle, a practice that allegedly found torturers separating the victims ribs from their spine, pulling their bones and skin outward to form a set of wings, and removing their lungs from their chest cavity.
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